The Transfer
by Debitum Naturae
Summary: This story follows 16 year old Vada through Dauntless' initiation process.   Takes place during Four & Eric's year.
1. Results: Erudite

I open my eyes looking at the mirror and into the conservative face of an older Abnegation volunteer. Regardless of the feuding between our factions I do not dislike him; his presence has been somewhat peaceful today.

His voice is smooth and composed as he presents my results to the aptitude test,

"Erudite"

My results don't come as a surprise, I have expected as much. Testing results I have acted as a Erudite, just as I have been trained to, growing up as one of them. I have reviewed the aptitude the way I have been trained to for the first sixteen years of my life, and my Erudite result reflects that.

I nod and he focuses back on the machine. "You may exit the way you entered."

I leave the room quickly giving no reply. As I enter the cafeteria many of my fellow Erudites try to gauge my result by my expression, but my face betrays nothing. Many of them wondered if my outspoken nature would put me in Candor, but they don't know just how much I hide. I don't value honesty, I value the choice of what to keep in and what to express.

When I find my seat, the chatter starts up again, albeit quieter and most likely about me. My friend, Kara raises an eyebrow as I sit down but I ignore her, choosing instead to pop my knuckles, one by one. I know this irritates her to no end, but before she can snap at me Eric Rama walks in; he's a "friend" of ours, but Kara's been obsessed with him since we were small.

We're not supposed to share our results but the sordid smile on his face says it all.

Dauntless.

Eric's known for ages that his blood would burn during the choosing ceremony, and he's let it be a widely known fact among our fellow Erudites. He takes a seat staring at me from across the table, cocky smile firmly in place.

"Kara Stuart."

Kara jumps as her name is called and I give her a sympathetic look, I know she's been worried about the test. She looks hopefully toward Eric but his gaze doesn't waver from me. "So Veda, were your results everything you wished them to be?"

I look back, a bored expression on my face. "We're not allowed to discuss our results." I know it won't satisfy him, but I'm hoping for once he'll take the hint and shut up.

He scoffs, "Since when has _that _stopped us?"

Eric is of course talking about our late night training sessions. While he makes his interest in Dauntless perfectly clear, he's one of the few people who know about my similar plans. Together we've been training for the initiation process, being in Erudite does have its perks; one being that pretty much all the information you want is at your fingertips. We don't know all about the process but we've found more than anyone else I think, we also know that by being transfers we'll be at a disadvantage, at least for part of the process.

"It's not stopping me; it's an excuse not to tell you." I then turn to another boy in our year and insert myself into his discussion. Somewhere behind me I can hear whispers of "Candor."

* * *

><p>Its night now and I lie on top of my covers with a book I found about Dauntless. I'm studying all I can now because I know once I get there tomorrow my days of study will be few and far between.<p>

I've known I wanted to be in Dauntless since we first started learning about the other factions in school. It isn't the guns and fighting that attract me like they do Eric. What interests me most is the strength and strategy shown by most of the Dauntless, well that and the choice they are afforded. The Dauntless are the least uniform faction which intrigues my vain and selfish side, the exact side that makes me an impossible candidate for Abnegation, not that I want that life anyway.

I shut the book and slide it under my bed; I won't be able to take it with me. It's not nostalgia that makes me think of this, its greed. My little brother will probably tear my room apart, he'll take my books, any clothes he can get away with, no doubt he'll take my variety of blue ties and shoelaces. I take my journal out from its place under my mattress and turn it in my hands.

I still haven't decided what to do with it yet, I can't take it with me, but I can't leave it here to be laughed over either.

Suddenly I hear small pebbles at my window and know its Eric. If I wasn't watching for him already while training this was his signal. Right now he'll be crouched behind the wall so that if my parents looked out the window they couldn't see him. I'm more than a little confused though; we've stopped our little training sessions two nights ago to give our bodies a rest before we choose.

Regardless I quickly change into dark jeans with a black long sleeved shirt. These are the only times I don't have to wear blue, so I don't. I creep as silently as I can out my window and across our small lawn. As a parting gift to me, the creaky gate of ours stays silent. Eric is just like I thought, crouched against the wall, and I must admit he looks pretty good. His hair is growing a bit longer than usual and he's dressed all in black. His pale arms are a striking contrast to his clothes. He looks up at me and I see a fag in his hand, I glare at him and he puts it out. He knows I hate it when he smokes around me.

Once we are under the cover of trees I know I can talk without being heard. "So, what did you drag me out here for?" I try to sound annoyed, but honestly I wasn't sleeping anyway and welcome the diversion.

He rolls his eyes dramatically, "Honestly Veda, I dragged you out here? I just thought we could talk, but if you want to go home feel free." He finishes with venom in his voice. "I couldn't care less." His face returns to its usual look of disinterest.

"God stop being an ass, will ya?" I find a tree trunk to lean against sliding down its base, and pat the seat next to me. Eric ignores it and sits in front of me. "What did you want to talk about?"

"I don't know, we could talk about our results." He pretends to be disinterested, but fails miserably.

I roll my eyes before replying. "Hm, okay I'm guessing your results were what you wanted, you're not very good at hiding anything. Maybe you should be in Candor."

"Why, are you worried about the company there? We all know that's where you were put." He snarls back.

I took a deep breath to calm myself down, "Just like you Eric, I was put where I expected to be put." I spoke with the hope that he would believe that to be Dauntless.

Luckily he believes me and let it go. "It's our last night here." He speaks with excitement evident in his tone and eyes. "Let's do something." The way he speaks reminds me of my little brother Ethan back when he was young and excitable.

I can't stop the smile from spreading on my face, so I don't. "Okay, I'm up for anything."

He takes out his lighter and smirks. "Bonfire" we say in unison.

"Wait, let's go home first and get stuff to burn." I was now possibly more excited than him.

He looked around confused, "There's plenty of shit here to burn-"

I cut him off quickly, "something symbolic, something distinctly Erudite. When we go to sleep tomorrow we won't be Dauntless yet, but we won't be Erudite either."

His face is impassive for a few seconds before a rare smile graces his lips. He simply nods and we part ways, my house is twice as far as Eric's so I sprint home thinking of all the running I'll get to do as a Dauntless initiate.

* * *

><p>When I get back to our training destination Eric has already started a fire. He looks up and raises an eyebrow, "You're book-burning? Wow maybe you really don't belong here." The fire is big, but can't be classified as a bonfire yet.<p>

I smile, glad I don't belong here. "Yeah, and what did you bring?" Technically I'm burning my journal but still, it's a book, written by me. He answers with a nod of his head and I see a stiff family portrait and look back to Eric.

He has his back to me but I see his rigid posture. He's symbolically burning his family, I decide right here I'm can't trust him, not now, not ever.

After a while of adding flammable materials we give up, we'll just have to deal with a big fire. I slowly rip pages out of my journal and add them to the fire. I've been tearing for a while now, and am only a third the way through. Hastily I throw the whole damn thing into the flames. Eric follows my lead with his family portrait. We sit for a long while, staring into the flames.

"I'm ready, are you ready?" I ask him quietly, barely over the crackling of the burning wood.

He only nods in reply.

* * *

><p><em>AN - Sorry for the bad grammar, If someone wants to beta, I'll love you forever, seriously._


	2. The Choosing Ceremony

There is a small strip of sunlight that escapes my window through a missing blind slat and passes directly over my eyes, rudely awakening me. I look at the clock, and it's already mid-morning. Last night's escapades must have made me more tired than I thought. My mother has no doubt let me sleep in because of the special occasion: more perceptive than my father she fears for my choice today.

In an attempt to rise my senses I open my blinds completely and stretch in the sunlight. That is something I will miss, the Dauntless are always so pale I doubt many of them spend any quality time in the sun. I almost make to grab for my journal, but remember last night and smile.

I am not like them, I have burned my past and I'm done pretending.

The smile slips from my face remembering Eric's family portrait. I vainly hope that he was just trying to make it easier to leave, but I know the sickening gleam in his eyes as I have seen it many times before. He won't miss them, and I doubt they'll miss him either.

I shake my head of those thoughts and walk to my dresser, I still haven't decided what to wear to the ceremony. I pick out all of my black clothing and lay it on my bed. There isn't much, a skirt, a few t-shirts and a jacket; I frown looking at my options. My eyes catch my favorite blue tie hanging on the corner of my mirror and I walk toward it, turning it in my hands. I hear a creak from behind me, and catch my brother's eye in the crack of my door, he quickly walks down the hall pretending nothing happened. The little bastard is trying to steal my shit before I've even left. I look down at the tie and remember him eyeing it last week, I decide to use it as my blue representation, if only to keep him from getting his grubby hands on it.

"Veda?" I hear my mother softly speak from the hall.

I open my door completely and see Ethan behind her, "Yeah?"

She gives me a tentative smile and I can see the Amity in her, she was a transfer as well. "We'll be leaving in an hour." She says directly and continues her way down the hall. Ethan however does not, "Why even bother with the blue? I thought Candors were all about black and white?" He's trying to goad me, but I resist the bait, in fact it gives me an idea.

* * *

><p>Thirty minutes later I walk down the stairs dressed in dark grey jeans and a white button up with my favorite blue tie It bears striking similarity to the traditional Candor dress, let them think what they will of that. Underneath the white shirt is a form fitting black Tee, which I plan to wear after the ceremony. I grab some bread and pop it in the toaster, humming lightly in excitement for what is to come. My father comes in and doesn't notice my dress, or my very presence, but sits at the table, eyes glued to the newspaper.<p>

Ethan's stomp-like steps leave no doubt to who's coming in next, but they grow quieter as he comes to a stop just inside the kitchen doorway. Obviously he didn't really expect me to dress, well 'honestly'. I turn and greet him with a sarcastic smile when my toast pops up, I butter it and sit at the table next to Dad. We don't get on too well, so I revel in the fact that I won't have to converse with him any longer.

"Veda?" Mom exclaims seeing my outfit, I pretend not to know what surprises her.

"Yeah?" She gives me a sad smile but just shakes her head.

Once everyone is sitting at the table, my father finally looks up from his paper, and evidently notices my outfit. "Today is very important." He says directly to me, a warning in his eyes. "You'll have to live with your choice for the rest of your life. _So will we."_ I suppress the urge to roll my eyes dramatically, and just focus on chewing and swallowing.

"I know, I've put a lot of thought into my choice." I'm goading him, and I _almost_ feel bad about it, but not quite.

His eyes turn to slits and pink colors his neck and up into his cheeks. "If you had put enough research and time into making your 'choice' you wouldn't be wearing that." He spits out angrily, but I don't respond in like.

My eyebrows raise before I say, "What, no tie?"

That sets him off. He stands abruptly, knocking the table and spilling the flower filled vase playing as a centerpiece. Mom looks at me like I'm crazy, but I just grab a towel and start mopping up the spilled water, and collect the flowers. The flowers come from our garden, we're one of the only Erudite families that has a garden, and definitely the only one that plants flowers as well as vegetables. I look up and he's still staring at me, I fix the same stare back at him, and notice (not for the first time) just how eerily similar our eyes are, dull brown with a bit of green around the pupil. I look so much like my mom, medium brown hair, high cheek bones and a slightly too small nose, I often forget I also have my fathers DNA. He storms off first, just into the living area but still I believe this is the first time he's left rather than sending me off.

Mom, Ethan and I are completely silent, and for the first time I truly feel like an adult.

A knock on the back door breaks the silence and I can see Kara's mom through the curtain. We're supposed to walk to the ceremony with them, and my mom looks at me, clearly disappointed before answering.

And for the first time I feel bad about my choice.

* * *

><p>It seems to take forever to go up the 20 floors to the ceremony, the elevator is small and I'm standing with Kara and Eric, in the opposite corner of my father. Eric surprised me by getting on the elevator with us, a group of Dauntless arrived at the same time and all took the stairs laughing and joking with each other, I was sure he would follow them, but he didn't. I wonder if he is having second thoughts.<p>

Kara waves her hand in front of my face nearly shouting, "Earth to Veda." I slap her hand from in front of my face, annoyed.

"What? God!" I exclaim.

Eric smirks and says, "Up late last night or something?" Kara looks toward me devastated, and I shoot a glare at Eric, but luckily we reach the 20th floor. I pull Kara out with me but before we can get very far my mom pulls me toward her and hugs me. I stand stiffly, not use to the affection, but she quickly kisses my forehead and releases me, pushing me back toward Kara. Kara, Eric and I look at each other awkwardly but walk toward our futures.

* * *

><p>We're lined up now, alphabetically and I'm between an Amity girl and an Abnegation boy. There have only been three transfers, but nothing to shocking. I'm so engrossed in my thoughts that I don't even hear the girl in front of me be called. She practically skips to the center and carefully cuts her palm, and delicately drips her blood onto the Earth. The Amity are smiling, the other factions uninterested, waiting for another of theirs or a transfer to shake things up. Luckily that's just what I'm about to do.<p>

"Veda Castillo" The announcer, one of our leaders, calls my name a bit louder, just like he does all Erudite. I take a breath before stepping forward in what I hope is a confident manner. I feel like I'm shaking from excitement or nervousness I honestly can't tell. I look down, surprised to see I'm not shaking, I cast a quick look at my parents, father looking confident, mom, not so much. I tear my gaze away, and I know if I'm looking to them when I choose, I'll hesitate. As I approach the announcer, I catch a glance of Eric, he's smirking and it gives me the strength I need.

Before I realize it, I've taken the knife and cut my palm, deeper than necessary and I thrust the knife back. My hand is bleeding, I step forward with a purpose and find the burning coals. My blood sizzles; I can see it, hear it, smell it. I've made my choice.

It is a few seconds later that I realize the room is silent. I don't look back as I head over to the other Dauntless initiates.

When I reach there, the murmurs arise, not loud enough to make the announcer call for order, but the constant mutters continue through the next five initiates. The cut in my hand starts to ache and I squeeze it with my other to stop the bleeding. The buzz of my choice is beginning to wear off when an Abnegation boy gets called, I don't hear his name, but an intense looking man, one of the government leaders stands to get a better view, it must be his son. I hear some scoffs around me, most of the dauntless see the Abnegation as being weak. I wonder if my transferring will sway me to think the same way, in fact I find it brave, to be selfless. That is something I could never do, and I almost admire them for it, almost.

I turn away, looking at the only other transfer so far. We dress similarly, he's from Candor and I dressed a ruse. Although I'm tall, he still has a good six inches on me, and his shoulders are incredibly wide. It would appear that he would win in a fight, but the look on his face tells a different story, he's scared and that is where I triumph.

Gasps of shock and the thuds of many dropped objects reroutes my attention to the center circle. The boy stands resolutely, with his hand still over the Dauntless bowl, his blood burning. Within seconds there are cries of outrage, the government leader I saw before has turned red and he clenches his fists so tight that his knuckles are bone white. The announcer tries to gain order, but fails as people continue to cry and shout. The boy walks head held high, and takes his place, behind the Dauntless born initiates, and directly to my left.

I turn to him and try to lighten the mood, "So you're pretty special, huh?" I ask, it's not unheard of for a Stiff to transfer to Dauntless but it usually doesn't cause this much ruckus.

He looks taken aback by the question, "Special?" he says looking utterly lost.

I just shake my head, maybe I'll find out the story later. "I'm Veda." I shove my hand toward him, feeling odd by the gesture but trying to act a bit more Dauntless.

He reluctantly takes it but has a decent shake regardless. "Tobias." His eyes wince and he nods toward the angry Abnegation man "That's my father." I look back to him, and find him glaring daggers at me, or not me as their probably for Tobias, either way they send shivers down my back.

By now they have quieted down enough to continue, and before I know it Eric is walking toward me, swaggering and I almost laugh but think better of it. He pushes Tobias out of the way to stand next to me muttering something about "stupid Stiff" I can tell he was upset that the excitement had been over Tobias transferring and not him. "Veda." He says with the tell tale smirk firmly in place.

Regardless of his rude behavior I'm glad he's here, I feel less alone. "One step closer." I say growing excited again.

Eric just scoffs and replies, "We're as good as in." Tobias sends a sideways look in my direction, but before I know it we are shuffled out the door.

And then, we are running.

* * *

><p>AN - I wasn't really happy with this chapter but might revise it later. Again if anyone wants to beta, let me know! Thanks for reading! (and a special thanks to those who reviewed!)

-LP


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